Spray can with improved attachment feature for a protective cap

ABSTRACT

A spray dispenser, includes a valve disk for attachment of a valve, with the valve disk including a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome. A cap extends over the collar and is secured against axial displacement, for covering the valve, wherein the cap is connected to the collar by way of a form-fitting engagement so as to inhibit rotation of the cap relative to the collar.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of prior filed copending PCTInternational application no. PCT/EP99/08201, filed Oct. 28, 1999.

[0002] This application claims the priority of German Patent ApplicationSerial No. 298 19 515.1, filed Nov. 2, 1998, the subject matter of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates, in general, to a spray can.

[0004] Typically, spray cans include a valve disk for mounting a valve,with the valve disk having a valve dome and a collar in concentricsurrounding relationship to the valve dome. A cap covers the valve forprotection against contamination and mechanical stress, whereby the capextends over the collar and is secured against axial displacement. Spraycans of this type may contain polyurethane (PU) foam, cured with air,paint or other aerosols.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,137, issued on Aug. 10, 1993, describes adisk for mounting a valve onto a spray can, whereby a turning of aprotective cap opens an outlet port of the valve, and, after use, theoutlet port is closed through turning the protective cap again. Thistype of spray can is primarily used for PU foam. A drawback of thisconfiguration is the fact that the cap for the spray can is freelyturnable, and thus affords no assurance that the cap remains in a placefor covering the outlet port. Rather, there is a risk of inadvertentturning so that the outlet port may become open, thereby defeating thedesired protection effect.

[0006] In general, there is an increasing demand for spray cans with aprotective cap that retains its position after attachment. This demandhas not been satisfied to date.

[0007] It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide animproved spray dispenser to obviate prior art shortcomings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention resolves prior art problems by providing aspray dispenser which includes a valve disk, having a valve dome and acollar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome, forattachment of a valve; and a cap, extending over the collar and securedagainst axial displacement, for covering the valve, wherein the cap isconnected to the collar by way of a form-fitting engagement so as toinhibit rotation of the cap.

[0009] In this way, it is now possible to restrain the cap to an extentthat effectively prevents inadvertent turning. Some applications requirethat the cap remains in place in a certain position, for example, whenthe cap forms the base for placement of an additional structure which isconnected to the valve and is rotatable with respect to the cap. Forthis type of situation, the present invention offers a simple solutionto prevent a conjoint rotation of the cap.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, the collar hasan annular lower edge formed with teeth for penetration into a shoulderof the cap, when the shoulder rests on the lower edge of the collar uponattachment of the cap to the valve disk. As the cap is normally made ofplastic and the valve disk, including the collar, are made of metal, thepointed end of the teeth of the collar is able to penetrate into thesofter material of the cap, thereby ensuring a sufficient securementagainst rotation of the cap.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the collaris formed on the outside with a plurality of spaced-apart fins, whichprotrude outwardly and penetrate the sidewall of the cap, when the capis attached. In this way, the cap is additionally secured againstrotation and damage to already painted surfaces of the valve disk iseliminated. Moreover, stress on forming tools is very slight. The finsmay have an elongated configuration and extend longitudinally in thedirection of the spray dispenser axis.

[0012] Of course, a combination of teeth and fins is also conceivable,as is the provision of a knurling on the outside of the collar, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention. It is also possibleto provide the dome-confronting inside wall of the collar with fins uponwhich a cap portion may bear.

[0013] A particular tight positive engagement between the cap and thecollar is realized, when the collar is formed on the inside as well ason the outside with fins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will bemore readily apparent upon reading the following description of apreferred exemplified embodiment of the invention with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary side view of aspray can according to the present invention by way of two halfsections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] It is to be understood by persons skilled in the art that theterm “spray can” is used here in a generic sense and the principlesdescribed in the following description with respect to the spray can areequally applicable to any other type of spray dispenser or atomizerwhich generally follows the concepts outlined here. For convenience andsake of simplicity, FIG. 1 and the following description refer only tothose areas of the spray can that form part of the present invention.

[0016] Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a fragmentary side view ofa spray can according to the present invention, including a valve disk 1for mounting a, not shown, valve. The valve disk 1 is made of metal andhas a valve dome 1 a provided with a central opening 1 b for receivingthe valve. Formed in concentric surrounding relationship to the valvedome 1 a is an annular collar 2, which is intended for attachment of aprotective cap 3, made of plastic material and pushed downwardly overthe collar 2. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the cap 3is made of a sufficiently rigid resilient plastic material that yieldswhen pushed downwards over the collar 2.

[0017] The cap 3 has a, not shown, top portion and an annular skirt 3 awhich bears against the outside of the collar 2. At its top-distal freeedge, the cap skirt 3 a has a shoulder 6, which is directed inwardly andrests upon a circumferential lower edge of the collar 2, therebyinhibiting the cap 3 on the valve disk 1 from displacement in axialdirection.

[0018] In the non-limiting example of the spray can of FIG. 1, the lefthalf-section shows that the lower edge of the collar 2 is formed aboutits entire circumference with serrations or teeth 5. As the collar 2 ismade of metal and the cap 3 is made of plastic which is softer than themetal of the collar 3, the teeth 5 on the lower edge of the collar 3penetrate the shoulder 6, thereby preventing the cap 3 from inadvertentrotation. The right half-section of FIG. 1 shows in more detail theconfiguration of the collar 2, and it can be seen that the collar 2 isformed with a plurality of fins 4 which protrude outwardly toward theskirt 3 a of the cap 3. The fins 4 are shaped as webs and extend in thedirection of the center axis C of the valve disk 1.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the fins 4 extend directly from the loweredge of the collar 2, thereby realizing in this area a certainsharp-edged configuration for effecting a particularly intimateengagement of the fins 4 with the attached cap 3. Of course, thisconfiguration is shown by way of example only, and other configurations,which generally follow the concepts outlined here, are considered to becovered by this disclosure. For example, it is conceivable to substitutethe fins by holes so formed as to be bounded by a protruding smallsharp-edged circumferential collar, which is also suitable to penetratethe elastic plastic material of the cap 3.

[0020] While the invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in a spray can, it is not intended to be limited to the detailsshown since various modifications and structural changes may be madewithout departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0021] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by LettersPatent is set forth in the appended claims:

What is claimed is:
 1. A spray dispenser, comprising: a valve disk forattachment of a valve, said valve disk including a valve dome and acollar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome; and acap, extending over the collar and secured against axial displacement,for covering the valve, wherein the cap is connected to the collar by aform-fitting engagement to thereby inhibit rotation.
 2. The spraydispenser of claim 1 , wherein the collar and the cap have cooperatingengagement means.
 3. The spray dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the collarhas an annular lower edge formed with teeth for engagement with ashoulder of the cap, when the shoulder rests against the lower edge ofthe collar.
 4. The spray dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the collar hasan outside formed with fins directed outwards for impressing into a wallsurface of the cap.
 5. The spray dispenser of claim 4 , wherein thevalve disk defines an axis, said fins extending in the direction of theaxis of the valve disk.
 6. The spray dispenser of claim 5 , wherein thecollar has an annular lower edge, said fins extending from the loweredge of the collar.
 7. The spray dispenser of claim 1 , wherein thecollar has an outside wall formed with a knurling.
 8. The spraydispenser of claim 1 , wherein the collar is provided has adome-confronting inner side formed with fins.
 9. A valve disk forattachment of a valve of a spray dispenser, said valve disk comprising avalve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to thevalve dome, said collar having a lower edge formed with teeth forrealizing a form-fitting engagement with a protective cap to inhibitrotation of the cap after placement of the cap over the collar.
 10. Thevalve disk of claim 9 , wherein the collar has fins directed outwardsfor penetration into a wall surface of the cap.
 11. The valve disk ofclaim 10 , wherein the valve dome defines an axis, said fins extendingin the direction of the axis of the valve dome.
 12. The valve disk ofclaim 9 , wherein the fins extend from the lower edge of the collar.